THAMES Water has outlined its 25-year plan to combat climate change and radically reduce its carbon footprint in a bid for a more sustainable future.

Improving water efficiency, tackling leakage and delivering high quality customer service have been identified as the top priorities in the company’s first Strategic Direction Statement entitled ‘Taking Care of Water’.

The strategy, which sets out the firm’s direction from 2010 to 2035, is the culmination of the water company’s largest ever public consultation exercise, which included discussion groups with customers, stakeholder workshops and interviews with MPs.

Chief executive David Owens, based at the company’s Vastern Road headquarters, said: “Taking Care of Water outlines what we think the future holds and how we will respond.

“It also provides a summary of what our customers, employees and other stakeholders have told us and shows how we’ve taken this into account in our planning.

“With this clear strategic direction, we can now focus on developing our plans in greater detail alongside the Strategic Business Plan for the next five years, due to be submitted to our regulator Ofwat next summer.”

Among the many commitments outlined in the firm’s strategy is a 20 per cent drop in carbon emissions by 2015, the continuation of the Victorian mains renewal programme to maximise leakage reduction, and delivering the Tideway Tunnel to improve the water quality of the River Thames.

Mr Owens added: “There are serious challenges ahead.

“We must plan to meet the demands of future generations sustainably, continue to cut our leakage, and above all, ensure that our services continue to represent value for money and remain affordable.”